


A Flower Hunt

by Crazy_Pairing_Person



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Humanstuck, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-04-07
Packaged: 2018-03-21 09:39:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3687396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazy_Pairing_Person/pseuds/Crazy_Pairing_Person
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karkat isn't exactly looking forward to the upcoming end-of-the-year spring dance like the rest of the school seems to be. Of course he isn't. He hates dancing. And dances. And being crowded. Plus, no one would ever have a crush on him. And he doesn't like anyone. Unless you've read his diary, then you'd know that's a lie. You'd also be in a ditch, but that's irrelevant. Point is, the person he may or may not like totally isn't even into guys. He makes that abundantly clear.</p>
<p>So, long story short, Karkat has accepted his doomed life of loving someone who will never love him ba-What the fuck? Why is there a love confession note in his mailbox?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Flower Hunt

**Author's Note:**

> I love googling adorable confession or date ideas and applying them to fanfics. Hehe.

Karkat huffed angrily, glaring at this stupid algebra problem. Why the fuck do their teachers think it's fun to make shit more complicated than it most likely is?

"Karkat?"

He looked up at his friend, John, who was looking at him, with a totally-not-adorkable face that totally did not make Karkat want to smother him in kisses. Because that would be weird.

"What is it?" he huffed, glaring down at the problem. He finally figured out that x = 3 and scribbled it in, resisting the urge to write a few swears in the margin, directed at the dumbass teacher who gave out this stupid homework.

"I know you said you aren't going to the dance tomorrow night-"

"No shit. I hate dancing. And dances. And it's way too fucking crowded. And the gym _smells-_ "

"Yeah, I know. You told me" John's voice was so adorably amused, but Karkat totally didn't mean that in the weird way. No. Totally not weird or abnormal in any way, shape or form.

"It's just that I was wondering if, in some alternate world where you could at least tolerate a school dance, and would want to go, would there be someone in mind that you'd ask on a date?"

Karkat's blood ran cold. He managed to pass off his sudden tensing as frustration at another problem, but in the back of his mind he was running in terror. Of course, his legs wouldn't cooperate to actually carry out that action.

"Maybe, I guess. But more likely I'd want someone to ask me out, honestly" he replied, barely keeping his voice from shaking.

"Why's that?" John asked, his voice curious.

Why indeed? He could just say that he would probably be too nervous, which would at least be a half-truth. Or he could go for something more prideful, saying that he's not going to go groveling for the right to spend the night with someone, especially if there's a chance of rejection and laughter.

Or he could just say that the person he wants to ask out is way too close to him, and he doesn't want to lose it just because he felt the need to proclaim some ridiculous feelings that wouldn't even be returned anyway.

"I just would. If they like me, then fine, but I'm not going to go fucking dig the answer out of them. They can tell me, or they can be fucking quiet. I don't care either way"

John laughed softly, finding Karkat's response pretty typical.

"So, if someone did ask you out, how would you like it to be done?"

"Romantic" Karkat's response was immediate and short, his eyes never leaving the damn homework. Last problem, then he'll be finished...

"Yeah, I guessed that. But, I mean, people have different definitions of romantic. What would you, specifically, like?"

Karkat hummed thoughtfully as he considered that question.

"Something with flowers, I guess. Like, they leave a flower on my locker or in the mailbox or someplace like that, and a little note... Or maybe two flowers, a red rose and a yellow one. And they have me bring the red rose if I like them back, or the yellow one if I don't... Actually, as long as flowers were somehow tied into it I'd like it"

John nodded his head thoughtfully.

After a few more minutes of silently glaring at the stupid algebra, Karkat spoke up.

"Why'd you ask?"

"Just curious" John replied quickly, almost _too_ quickly, but Karkat chose not to dwell on it.

* * *

The next morning, as he set off towards the bus stop, he saw a surprise sticking out of his open mailbox.

At first, he wondered why his mailbox was open, but then disregarded it when he saw what it was.

A note. Addressed to him.

He narrowed his eyes as he picked it up, trying to decipher if it was a joke or not. Really, the fact that it said 'From: An Admirer' on the front wasn't helping his suspicion.

Eventually, he tore it open, his curiosity winning.

_Dear Karkat,_

_This is going to sound really sudden, but I like you. A lot. I might even love you. Don't they say that 'A crush that lasts longer than four months is love'? Or something? I've had this 'crush' for like two years... Love it is!_

_Anyway, I know you hate dances and all, so instead of asking you to be my date to the spring dance, I was just going to ask you to spend tonight with me, watching your romcoms and eating chips and popcorn and candy._

_Here's the twist: I'm not going to write down my name here! Instead, some of your friends will come to you during the day, and give you roses. Each rose will have a tag with a letter on it. Unscramble those letters and figure out who I am!_

_Signed,_

_____ _______

_And you might want a second spot to write those letters...  One to write in order, one to unscramble!_

_____ _______

_PS. If you unscramble the letters and you don't like/love me back, just text me or something. If you do like/love me back though, or if you're at least willing to give me a chance, don't do anything. I'll just come over to your house around 8 if I don't get a text._

...Holy shit.

What the fuck was this?

Karkat couldn't control his shaking. He couldn't decide if he should be suspicious or hopeful, especially as he noticed that the letter spaces given could easily spell...

He shook his head. He folded the note and stuffed it into his pocket, continuing towards the bus stop. Even if it wasn't a joke there was no damn way that HE would ever like him...

He arrived at the bus stop, and stood next to Sollux, Dave and John. Dave and Sollux were discussing something that had to do with Dave and his being the DJ at the dance...

"Hey, KK, don't you think Dave thould get Dirk to take over for half of the danth, tho I'm not all alone?"

Karkat sighed.

"Dave, quit being an emotionless prick and dance with your boyfriend. Sollux, quit being a needy bastard"

Sollux gave something that looked like it was supposed to be a glare but just turned into a really upset pout as he reached into his backpack.

"Now I'm tempted to not give you thith" he said as he pulled out a bright pink rose and thrust it at Karkat. Said boy took it carefully, his eyes narrowed as he was about to ask what the _fuck_ Sollux was thinking, when he noticed a tag tied to the stem. He looked, and all he saw was one letter...

O.

"What the hell?" he muttered, his mind reeling.

"Did you not get the note?" Dave asked, smirking as he, too, handed Karkat a rose, a blue one this time.

"I got the note, but I figured it was a prank" Karkat replied honestly, his cheeks flushing as he checked the tag on this one.

R.

"That would be a pretty awful prank" John chimed in. Karkat glanced over, realizing that John hadn't spoken this whole time, and that he didn't have a rose.

"Why would it be awful?" he asked carefully.

"Well, because... Let's say that, like, Sollux pulled that kind of prank on Eridan. It's pretty bluntly obvious that Eridan, you know, 'likes' Sollux-"

"He better fucking stay away from my Sol" Dave interrupted. Karkat wondered if his eyes were narrowed behind his glasses, but didn't bother to ask.

"Anyway, Eridan would get all excited, thinking that Sollux liked him back... But then Sollux would be all 'Haha fuck you loser it was all a joke'. Just imagine how upset Eridan would be! There is a LINE of how much you can upset someone when you prank them, and making them think you like them, then just laughing in their face, crosses the line by like ten million miles"

Karkat just stared blankly at John. He wasn't really sure what to say to that, honestly.

"At least we don't need to worry about you pulling that kind of shit" he finally said, giving a soft sigh as he clutched the two roses in his left hand, just now noticing that the thorns were cut off.

Before anymore could be said on the subject, the bus pulled up. All four of them got on, and Karkat sat in his usual spot behind Kanaya and Rose, with John sitting in the aisle right next to him.

He wasn't really sure whether to be surprised or not when both Kanaya and Rose turned and each handed him a rose, each with a tag.

He first looked at the dark red one, the one Rose gave him. It had a J. Kanaya's, the white one, had an N.

After a moment of thought, he pulled out the note and scribbled the four letters he'd gotten so far into the first four spaces.

ORJN ______

After another pause, and a quick check to make sure that John wasn't looking (he was doing some stupid game on his phone) he wrote into the second line of blanks, feeling rather hopeful.

JO_N ____R_

* * *

 

By lunch time, he had gotten three more roses, and three more letters.

Eridan had given him a yellow rose with an E, as soon as he walked into homeroom. Feferi gave him a purple rose with a G on his way to third period. And he'd just gotten a peach-colored one with a T from Nepeta in the lunch line.

He sighed, writing down the new three letters in the second line of spaces, not bothering with the first line.

JO_N EG__RT

He felt his heart pumping hard in his chest. Maybe his crush wasn't as hopeless as he once thought...

"Hey Karkat!"

John's voice made Karkat jump, and he scrambled to hide the paper as he stuttered a greeting in response. He looked up nervously, feeling his mouth go dry as he saw John raising an eyebrow, looking so adorably confused and amused at the same time that he both wanted to kiss and punch him.

Luckily, he didn't comment on Karkat's panicking behavior as he sat down next to his friend.

"How many roses have you gotten so far?"

"Seven" he replied, barely keeping his voice from shaking. John nodded, and glanced over Karkat's shoulder.

"Looks like you're about to get an eighth and ninth" he commented. Karkat turned and saw Jade and Dirk walking over.

"Here you go Karkat!" Jade said happily, grinning as she gave Karkat a lavender rose. Dirk handed him his coral rose wordlessly. Karkat took them both hesitantly.

The lavender one had an H. And the coral one had another E.

Karkat stood suddenly, rushing off to an isolated corner of the cafeteria, ignoring John's calls asking where he was going, and what was wrong. He sat down at the empty table, and scribbled in the two letters he'd gotten.

JOHN EG_ERT

It could still not be him. All he'd need was a B. Oh god, what if he didn't get a B? He had to get a B. He would die if the next letter wasn't a B.

* * *

It was last period. For Karkat, last period was study hall. He tapped on the table, unable to concentrate.

Last period. The only person in this class who hadn't given him a rose yet, who he knew personally anyway, was Terezi. This was the only class he had with her, and it was his last class of the day... It made sense that she'd be the one to give him the last rose, right?

But, Terezi seemed to take joy in his jittery discomfort. She was easily ignoring the panicked looks he was tossing her every two minutes, not even looking up from her biology homework.

Eventually, just when he was about to get up and scream and probably rip her head out of her scalp, she reached into her backpack and passed a bright red rose across the table to him, not even looking or saying anything. He breathed a sigh of relief, and barely stopped himself from shaking as he looked at the tag.

It was a B. He didn't even need to write it down to know who had given him the note.

JOHN EGBERT

* * *

Karkat paced in his living room, shooting panicking glances to the front door every ten seconds, waiting for John's signature knock. He looked up at the clock. 7:59. One minute left.

What if it really was a joke? Sure, John had gone into a rant that morning about how it would have been a terrible prank, but what if that was just a cover up? John didn't know that Karkat really did like him, after all, so it could have very well been a prank...

The clock turned to 8. Just as it did so, three knocks sounded on the door, followed by two more. John's signature knock.

Karkat nervously approached the door, opening it with his hands and entire body shaking. Relief flooded his system, as he saw John standing there, looking just as hopeful and nervous as he was.

"Hey" John said, his lips quirked in an adorable shy smile. Karkat gave him a smile of his own.

"Hi"

They stood there awkwardly for a few more minutes, before Karkat stepped aside and let John in.

"I got the movies all laid out on the coffee table. You can pick one while I go get the snacks" he said softly. John nodded, walking towards the coffee table, where Karkat had indeed laid out six of his movies.

It didn't take long for Karkat to return from the kitchen, holding a bowl of popcorn in one hand, and two sodas in the other. John picked a random disc, not really paying attention to the title as he popped it in the DVD player.

"John?" Karkat spoke before he pressed play.

"Yeah?" John looked over, his head tilted so adorably, and this time Karkat didn't stop himself from leaning over and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

"I love you too"


End file.
